Putin: FIFA Chief Deserves a Nobel Prize

Scandal-plagued FIFA chief Sepp Blatter is not only innocent, he's worthy of a Nobel Prize, according to Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader—who joined Blatter for the 2018 World Cup qualifying draw in St. Petersburg on Saturday—says Blatter and other heads of major sporting federations "deserve special recognition," Reuters reports. "If there is anyone who deserves the Nobel Prize, it's those people," Putin told a Swiss broadcaster, adding that he doesn't "believe a word about him being involved in corruption." It's not clear which Nobel Putin had in mind for Blatter, who announced his resignation last month, CNN notes. (The bribery scandal could lead to Russia being stripped of the 2018 event.)